The Peregrine Fund Newsletter Summer-fall 2001

THE PEREGRINE FUND

working to conserve birds of prey in nature

summer/fall 2001 newsletter number 32

…the next next generation. generation. …the One Hundred Percent of All Donations Go Directly to Programs! The Peregrine Fund is working to conserve birds of prey around the world. All of our programs are dependent upon contributions. Help preserve future generations of birds of prey. Make a tax-deductible contribution to The Peregrine Fund today. To learn more, visit our web site.

www.peregrinefund.org

Photo by Bill Burnham

Imagine aa world world without… without…

THE PEREGRINE FUND

Business Office (208)362-3716 Fax (208)362-2376 Interpretive Center (208)362-8687

NEWSLETTER [email protected] http://www.peregrinefund.org

THE PEREGRINE FUND STAFF

Archivist S. Kent Carnie

32

•

SUMMER/FALL

2001

Letters

The Peregrine Fund will soon be constructing a new collections building at our location in Boise, Idaho. With the addition of this new building our mailing address is changing. Our new mailing address is 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, Idaho 83709.

United States Linda Behrman Roy Britton Bill Burnham Kurt K. Burnham Pat Burnham Jack Cafferty Jeff Cilek MaryAnn Edson Nancy Freutel Bill Heinrich Grainger Hunt J. Peter Jenny Russ Jones Lloyd Kiff Paul Malone Kim Middleton Angel Montoya Amel Mustic Brian Mutch Trish Nixon Shaun Olmstead Nedim Omerbegovic Sophie Osborn Chris Parish Carol Pettersen Dalibor Pongs Rob Rose Cal Sandfort Randy Stevens Russell Thorstrom Randy Townsend Rick Watson Dave Whitacre Chris Woods

NO.

International Aristide Andrianarimisa Francisco Barrios Adrien Batou Be Berthin Noel Augustin Bonhomme Eloi (Lala) Fanameha Martin Gilbert Noel Guerra Ron Hartley Kathia Herrera Mia Jessen Herman A. Jordan Loukman Kalavaha Eugéne Ladoany Magaly Linares Jose Lopez Jules Mampiandra Moise Angel Muela Charles Rabearivelo (Vola) Berthine Rafarasoa Norbert Rajaonarivelo Jeannette Rajesy Gérard Rakotondravao Yves Rakotonirina Norbert Rajaonarivelo Gaston Raoelison Christophe Razafimahatratra Lova Jacquot Razanakoto Lily-Arison Rene de Roland Leonardo Salas Simon Thomsett Gilbert Tohaky Ursula Valdez Jose Vargas Munir Virani Zarasoa

Our colleagues around the world respond to the tragedy of September 11 . . . . . . . . .2

Aplomado Falcon Recovery Captive-bred falcons get some extra protection from predators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

California Condor Restoration Released California Condors officially “come of age” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Greenland Project Satellite tracking reveals the range of the incredible Gyrfalcon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Harpy Eagles New facility in Panama provides tropical environment for captive breeding . . . . . . .8

Madagascar Local people assume protection of natural resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Cape Verde Kite Capturing one of these rare raptors puts our biologists to the test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Zimbabwe Falconers Club How a falconers club assists in shaping national conservation strategies . . . . . . . . .13

Notes from the Field From Peru to Pakistan, our researchers share their triumphs and worries . . . . . . . .15

Development Our future is in your hands! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Education Up-close encounters with birds of prey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 © 2001 • Edited by Bill Burnham • Design © 2001 by Amy Siedenstrang

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE PEREGRINE FUND OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS D. James Nelson Tom J. Cade, Ph.D. Chairman of the Board Founding Chairman President, Nelson Professor Emeritus of Construction Company Ornithology, Cornell University Paxson H. Offield Roy E. Disney Vice Chairman of the Chairman of the Board, Board Emeritus President and CEO, Vice Chairman, The Santa Catalina Island Walt Disney Company Company Chairman of the Board, William A. Burnham, Shamrock Holdings, Inc. Ph.D. Henry M. Paulson, Jr. President Chairman of the Board, J. Peter Jenny Emeritus Vice President Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Jeffrey R. Cilek Goldman Sachs Group, Vice President Inc. Karen J. Hixon Julie A. Wrigley Treasurer Chairman of the Board, Conservationist Emeritus Ronald C. Yanke Chairman and CEO, Secretary Wrigley Investments LLC President, Yanke Machine Shop, Inc.

Lee M. Bass President, Lee M. Bass, Inc. Robert B. Berry Trustee, Wolf Creek Charitable Trust, Falcon Breeder, and Conservationist Harry L. Bettis Rancher

DIRECTORS Scott A. Crozier Jacobo Lacs Senior Vice President International and General Counsel Businessman and PETsMART, INC Conservationist T. Halter Cunningham Business Executive/ Investor Patricia A. Disney Vice Chairman, Shamrock Holdings, Inc.

P. Dee Boersma, Ph.D. Professor, University of James H. Enderson, Washington Ph.D. Professor of Biology Frank M. Bond The Colorado College Attorney at Law and Caroline A. Forgason Rancher Partner, Robert S. Comstock Groves/Alexander President and CEO, Robert Comstock Michael R. Gleason Company Investor, Culmen Group, L.P. Derek J. Craighead Ecologist Z. Wayne Griffin, Jr. Developer, G&N Management, Inc.

Patricia B. Manigault Conservationist and Rancher Velma V. Morrison President, Harry W. Morrison Foundation Ruth O. Mutch Investor Morlan W. Nelson Naturalist, Hydrologist, and Cinematographer Ian Newton, D.Phil., D.Sc. Senior Ornithologist (Ret.) Natural Environment Research Council United Kingdom

Thomas T. Nicholson Rancher and Landowner Lucia L. Severinghaus, Ph.D. Research Fellow Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica Taiwan R. Beauregard Turner Fish and Wildlife Manager, Turner Enterprises William E. Wade, Jr. President (Ret.), Atlantic Richfield Company James D. Weaver Past President, North American Falconers’ Association, and Raptor Biologist P.A.B. Widener, Jr. Rancher and Investor

1

Nature Makes the Whole World Kin – Shakespeare uring the week of 11 September 2001 we were holding our annual planning meeting. There were staff members and cooperators from many countries, cultures, and religions gathered at the World Center for Birds of Prey to present programmatic results from the past year and to make plans for what we hope to achieve in the following five years. The first news of the terrorist attack came via the Philippines when the President of the Philippine Eagle Foundation called. For the next two hours we sat and watched in horror and disbelief as the events were reported and displayed on a television in our meeting room. As we sat there the sadness and rage were no less or more for those of us from the United States than those from Europe, Africa, Asia, or Latin America. The attack was not just on and about the United States, but directed at the

world’s humanity and the very core of civilization and human freedoms. Over the next few days we received a stream of messages, some of which are shared here. Receiving these messages it was increasingly obvious that although “we work to conserve birds of prey in nature,” the effect is far greater than just on raptors, or even nature conservation. We have found a common interest and bond on which relationships and understanding are established and nurtured, helping bridge cultures, nations, and peoples of the world. As we learned in uniting the vast diversity of people and organizations to restore the Peregrine Falcon, it is seldom possible to agree on everything, but if we can find something in common on which to agree, many of the other problems can eventually be resolved through understanding and finally trust.

D

We have found a common interest … helping bridge cultures, nations, and peoples of the world.

“Allow me to share my outrage at the cowardly assault on your country. At the same time, my family joins me in prayer for the thousands of lives that have been lost and affected by these terrorists. I wish I could be of some help in any way. Please let me know.” Philippines

“I express my deepest condolences of my heart to all Americans who have lost their relatives in today’s terrorist attack. I know there is little comfort in words, but I do want to express how deeply we all feel for you. We are shocked, horrified, and saddened. God bless all Americans and us.”

Mongolia “We are shocked to learn about the recent tragedy in the US. We share with you all the grief and sorrow. We strongly condemn and resent this act of terrorism. We take it as crime not against the American government or American people, but against humanity. We wish that we could have been with you at this sad and evil event.” Pakistan “We are deeply shocked with the terrorism act in the US. We join all of Malagasy people and nation to condemn such act. We hope the US government will

2

find quickly those responsible for this act and punish them severely to let the liberty, freedom, and peace settle forever.”

Madagascar “From me personally and from my country and the whole of Europe I send you my deepest sympathy. I do not know what to say. We all support you.”

Denmark “On rare occasion, even fanatical raptor conservationists can be

diverted from their cause. This is one such occasion. No words can express the level of revulsion that these unjustifiable acts have generated around the world. Our thoughts are with our American friends and colleagues at this tragic time. Let us hope that this despicable attack only serves to unite every civilized individual of all nations to eradicate this evil from our world. This is a shockingly terrible day in the history of mankind.” United Kingdom

“Please accept my (and all or our staff’s) sympathies to the attacks of terrorists!”

Hungary “I think all of us in Europe are deeply shocked and saddened by the terrible events of yesterday. I personally feel deeply for all of you who are friends across the Atlantic. I grieve for the thousands so callously slain. It is a joint tragedy and shame to whole humankind that soil our planet.”

Estonia

Aplomado Falcon Recovery:

Dealing with Other Predators

Photo by Brian Mutch

Photo by Amy Nicholas

T

The interaction of species in nature is one of the many challenges encountered in restoration biology. Although the effects of these interactions are often extremely frustrating, they are, in the end, one of the aspects of working with nature that makes our work so very interesting.

Photo © W.S. Clark

his year our biologists were able to locate 33 by J. Peter Jenny pairs of Aplomado Falcons in South Texas, and although some of these pairs were immature, 22 (66%) attempted to breed. Perhaps most encouraging was that the number of young to successfully fledge from these nests more than tripled from last year. Only eight young were able to fledge from nests last year as a result of predation by raccoons, coyotes, and Great Horned Owls. This season breeding pairs successfully fledged at least 29 young. We experimented with several proactive management techniques in an effort to reduce predation from ground predators at nests. When our biologists located an active nest they circled it with a single strand of portable electrical fence. Next, small sticks were treated with “Renardine,” which was developed in Great Britain to protect ground nesting birds from foxes. A few of the sticks were placed directly under the nest, and others were placed in a 30-yard circle around the nest. Although some losses still occurred, we found that predation by raccoons and coyotes at nests receiving these management techniques was significantly reduced. We are also developing artificial nesting structures designed to make it more difficult for predators to gain access to the falcon’s eggs or their young. The Great Horned Owl remains the most difficult predator for us to manage, and in some areas of south Texas the species may ultimately limit the recovery of the Aplomado Falcon.

From top: Adult Aplomado Falcon above nest.

The interaction of species in nature is one of the many challenges encountered in restoration biology.

Aplomado Falcon eggs in White-tailed Hawk nest. Aplomados and other falcons do not build their own nests, and may use nests constructed by other birds. Biologists place electric wire around base of nest tree.

3

Major Milestone Achieved for

25 March 2001

or those of us who have worked with the condors and those of you by Sophie Osborn who have watched them at the Vermilion Cliffs and Grand Canyon or read of their trials and tribulations in The Peregrine Fund’s home page field notes (www.peregrinefund.org), the thrilling discovery on 25 March was deeply moving. It will forever mark an unforgettable milestone in our efforts to restore the condor.

F

Photo by Chris Parish

Adult Condor soars at the edge of the Grand Canyon.

…the object he was pushing around was large and smooth and elliptical and looked exactly like – an EGG!!

4

Sunday, 25 March 2001, started out in the same way as almost every other day in March, with the various crew members headed out early to the release site and the Colorado River corridor to track and monitor Arizona’s 25 free-flying condors. I headed out to the river to observe our “trio,” male Condor 123 and female Condors 119 and 127, and to monitor a newly released juvenile, Condor 198, who had left the Vermilion Cliffs a mere six days after his release (more on him later!). Perched on the cliff edge, I watched Condor 119 fly over to the cave the trio had been investigating on and off for several weeks, and disappear inside at 1020 hours. Condors 123 and 127 were content to perch on a nearby ledge. Much to my surprise, an hour and a quarter later, Condor 198 appeared, flying down a side canyon and heading straight for the cave and the lounging adults. After several days perched alone on cliffs overlooking the town of Marble Canyon, he had finally found his way to the river and found some companions! Dodging the pesky Peregrine Falcon that was relentlessly pursuing him, Condor 198 landed by

the cave next to Condors 123 and 127. The adults, however, did not appear to appreciate their space being invaded by an intruder. Chaos erupted! Condor 119 emerged from her cave and, surprisingly, was promptly attacked by her mate, Condor 123, while Condor 127 began attacking Condor 198. The Peregrine wisely retreated! As Condor 119 dropped off the ledge, she turned her attentions to pursuing Condor 198. Condors 123 and 127 quickly joined in the chase. A few minutes later Condor 198 circled and landed by the cave and the three adults settled nearby. Perhaps the adults’ aggression would have abated had Condor 198 not decided to fly again and land even closer to the cave entrance. No sooner had he landed than the adults attacked again. Finally, Condor 123 escorted the young bird out of the territory. Upon his return, Condor 123 flew to the cave and walked part way in. Nine minutes later, he was in full view in the cave entrance and was pushing something around with his bill. Such behavior was not unusual, since these three adults have been engaging in frequent nest grooming behavior where they push pebbles and debris around the “nest” cave and ledge with their bills. But as Condor 123 stepped back, I saw that the object he was pushing around was large and smooth and elliptical and looked exactly like—an EGG!! A condor egg!! I don’t know if I breathed. Time seemed suspended. Frantically I tried to focus my scope for a closer look, but it was already zoomed in as far as it would go! I stared and stared. Could this in fact be the first condor egg laid in the wild since 1986?!? Or was it just a large, oval rock? Frantically, I searched my memory. Had I noticed a smooth white rock in the cave entrance earlier? Surely, I would have noted it if I had. I struggled to contain my excitement. As an emotional person, caught up in my affection for the condors and the ever-unfolding drama of the efforts to recover them, I wanted to jump and shout, to rush off to tell the world what an amazing thing these incredible birds had done! But the biologist in me won out. I needed to be absolutely 100% sure of what I was seeing. I could not afford to be wrong about this. Motionless, I continued staring through the scope. Calmly, I described what I was seeing in my field notes. For almost an hour I stared at the beautifully smooth

object, pausing only to call Chris Parish, our project manager, on the cell phone to let him know that I might be looking at a condor egg! While I watched, Condor 119 left the area and Condor 123 went into the cave for several minutes, then perched by the entrance. At 1236 hours, Condor 127 walked up to the cave entrance and stopped by the possible egg. Reaching down, she placed her bill inside its hollowed-out back end. Then I knew. I was elated ... and, for a brief moment, crushed. It was indeed an egg! No rock could be so smooth, elliptical, white, eggshell thin, and hollow to boot! But it was broken. Still, none of us had realistically expected the birds to successfully hatch an egg this year. Condors do not usually manage to hatch an egg on their first attempt. Typically, the egg gets broken or is infertile. The fact that this egg was broken in no way diminishes the fact that these birds who had been released as two-year olds in 1997 and faced extraordinary odds over the ensuing years, including almost being killed by lead poisoning in the summer of 2000, had found themselves a nest cave and laid their first egg!!! I felt overwhelmed by the enormity of the moment. Although dozens of people had contributed infinitely more to the release effort than I had, I happened to be the lucky person in the right spot at the right time to see the first egg laid by free-flying condors in 15 years! It gave me a surge of hope that despite the infinite obstacles these magnificent birds face, they will succeed.

Photo by Chris Parish

California Condor Restoration

5

Female Gyrfalcon at her eyrie after being tracked by The Peregrine Fund for nearly a year. Note satellite-monitored transmitter antenna extending from her back.

yrfalcons are the largest of all species of falcons. They breed by Kurt K. Burnham in the arctic regions of the world, feeding on ptarmigan and many other kinds of birds as well as Arctic Hare and small mammals. Their prey varies from location to location, and even time of year, as they take advantage of changes in abundance and seasonal availability. Plumage also varies, but not seasonally, as they molt only once annually. Gyrfalcons nesting in the northern arctic frequently have light-colored plumage and some are near white, while those in the more southern arctic are mostly gray in color. Their plumage color may offer them an advantage when hunting prey as more snow and ice occur in the northern arctic than in the southern. To breed and survive in the severe arctic conditions, Gyrfalcons have special adaptations beyond plumage color. Their legs are covered with feathers and they have very dense plumage with thick down, all to hold in body heat. During long arctic storms they may have to go for days without feeding, and conservation of energy is important. In the early spring, and particularly during incubation, temperatures may be well below zero Fahrenheit.

G

Photo by Alberto Palleroni

Gyrfalcon with satellite transmitter.

6

Photo by Alberto Palleroni

Gyrfalcon Tracking Provides Valuable Information

Rock-climbing: one of the many challenges of studying the Gyrfalcon.

Gyrfalcons have held great fascination for some biologists and for centuries have been highly regarded by falconers; however, very little is actually known about them in parts of their range, and in particular in Greenland. We are trying to answer many questions about this species in Greenland, including their seasonal movements. Using transmitters monitored by satellite (PTTs) is providing detailed information. On 13 October 2000, we placed a PTT on a female Gyrfalcon at a fall trapping station near the Arctic Circle on the west coast of Greenland. The data gained from this transmitter allowed us to track her for the entire winter and into the following spring and summer. After we attached the PTT to her, she proceeded about 480 miles (800 km) down the west coast of Greenland and spent the winter months in southern Greenland. In mid-March she began to migrate back up the west coast and settled into an area northwest of Kangerlussuaq, most likely her breeding territory. In June, using the best locations we had received from her PTT, we were able to find her, and shortly afterwards her nest. Her nest contained four 30+ day old young and was tucked into a cliff above a high mountain lake surrounded by snowcapped peaks. The valley contained willow-

Photo by Bill Burnham

Photo by Alberto Palleroni

Four nearly fledged young produced by tracked Gyrfalcon.

Her nest contained four 30+ day old young and was tucked into a cliff above a high mountain lake surrounded by snowcapped peaks.

choked gullies, excellent ptarmigan habitat that was most likely one of the reasons she chose to breed at this location. After several attempts at capturing her we finally were successful and replaced her current PTT with a new unit that will last until the summer of 2002. With the information gained from this Gyrfalcon and additional falcons carrying satellite-monitored transmitters, we are gaining important new information for the conservation of Gyrfalcons. This research will continue for several more years with between 15 and 25 Gyrfalcons being tracked annually. To obtain more information on our work in Greenland and Gyrfalcons, please visit our home page at www.peregrinefund.org.

7

Harpy Eagle.

International Conference on Neotropical Raptors and Harpy Eagle Symposium ❖ Photo by Alberto Palleroni

The Peregrine Fund Fondo Peregrino – Panama ❖

Panama City, Panama 24 - 27 October 2002

Harpy Eagles Arrive at Neotropical Raptor Center, Panama here are now five pairs of Harpy Eagles at the Neotropical Raptor Center, located a short distance from Panama City within the former U. S. Fort Clayton, renamed the City of Knowledge. This new entity was created by an Act of the Panamanian Congress to establish a center of excellence for intellectual, business, and environmental activities in Panama. Fundo Peregrino—Panama (The Peregrine Fund—Panama) has offices, staff housing, and the Neotropical Raptor Center there. We were one of the first organizations to become a resident. With the completion of six large steel and chain-link breeding chambers, Harpy Eagles from the World Center for Birds of Prey in Idaho were moved to the Neotropical Raptor Center in October 2001. Each chamber was constructed within the forest and visually separated from other chambers and any human activity, creating as natural an environment as possible for captive breeding. Although Harpy Eagles were successfully bred and many

T

8

young raised at our World Center’s Gerald D. and Kathryn Swim Herrick Tropical Raptor Building in Idaho, we could not achieve the desired rate of reproduction nor plumage and condition of the eagles. It was simply impossible for us to duplicate a tropical environment indoors for such large eagles. Our Panamanian cooperators were excited by the arrival of the eagles. Of special interest was the repatriation of Ancon, a male Harpy Eagle formally loaned to The Peregrine Fund in 1991 by Panama. Ancon hatched in the wilds of Panama in 1985 and was illegally captured. He was rescued by a premier Panamanian environmental organization, “ANCON,” thus his name. With that organization’s assistance the eagle was transferred to The Peregrine Fund. Soon after his arrival at the World Center for Birds of Prey he was paired with a young female and over the years they produced eight young Harpy Eagles, including three previously returned and released in Panama.

he Peregrine Fund and Fondo Peregrino – Panama invite you to join scientists, conservationists, resource managers, falconers, representatives of zoos, government and non-governmental organizations, and other persons and institutions with an interest in research and/or conservation of birds of prey in Latin America and the Caribbean to participate in a meeting to share knowledge, interests, and concerns and help develop a network of practitioners in the fields of raptor conservation, research, captive-breeding, and falconry.

T

For further information, contact: Neotropical Raptor Conference The Peregrine Fund 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane Boise, Idaho 83709 United States of America Tel: 208-362-3717 Fax: 208-362-2376 E-mail: [email protected] Details and registration forms are also available on The Peregrine Fund’s web site at: www.peregrinefund.org/ nrconference.html

Natural resources: canoe made from a nearby tree and fish from the wetlands.

Photo by Lily-Arison Rene de Roland

M

to protect the wetlands and natural resources shared by the local people and fish eagles. By 1996, the government of Madagascar created and encouraged empowerment of local communities to control and manage their natural resources (Law Project No. 17/96). We then began working with the local people around the three lakes to help achieve local control. In 1997, with our support and aid, the people around Lakes Soamalipo and Befotaka formed a chartered association for managing their resources of the lakes and surrounding forest. Two years later the people on Lake Ankerika did likewise. The Peregrine Fund was challenged with convincing the local people of the need to group together, how to improve their existing traditional laws and sanctions, the importance of managing their resources sustainably, and thinking in terms of their future. We have been helping these two associations to reach their objective of controlling their natural resources. Finally, in 2000 these associations requested the transfer of the resource management from the government of Madagascar to them. After five long years it became a reality on 29 September 2001. For the next three years, during a probationary period, the local organizations will be required to demonstrate adequate care and management practices over their resources. Upon the completion of the probationary period, the review process will be extended by the government of Madagascar to every 10 years. The Peregrine Fund will continue to be a resource for the sake of the eagles. Photo by Russell Thorstrom

adagascar is the fourth by Russell Thorstrom largest island in the world and is inhabited by some of the most unusual and unique plants and animals in the world. The are 24 species of birds of prey in Madagascar of which 14 occur only on the island. Due to its uniqueness, number of endemic animals and plants, and loss of primary vegetation, Madagascar has become one of the primary hotspots in the world for conservation. The Peregrine Fund’s interest Madagascar in Madagascar began Fish Eagle. many years ago with research and conservation of the critically endangered endemic Madagascar Fish Eagle and Madagascar SerpentEagle. In Madagascar, both wetlands and forested habitat continue to be lost at an alarming rate and conservation remains critical. Wetlands are extremely threatened due to the dependency of the Malagasy people on them for cultivating rice, their staple food. We began research work on the endangered Madagascar Fish Eagle in the wetlands of central western Madagascar in 1991. Our work has been focused at Lakes Soamalipo, Befotaka, and Ankerika on what we estimate to be 10% of the entire breeding fish eagle population. These three lakes also support an abundant fisheries resource. In the early 1990s there was an increasing number of seasonal migrant fishermen coming to these lakes to catch fish to sell. This increased pressure conflicted with the needs of the local people and their laws, and eventually reduced fish stocks. In 1993, we proposed the idea of a community-based conservation project

Photo by Russell Thorstrom

Natural Resource Management Transferred to Local Population

Presentation ceremony transfers natural resource management to local people.

9

Cape Verde Kites E

European Red Kite, closest relative of the Cape Verde Kite.

One call produced the hint of a kite, so Sabine spent her last dollars on a flight to the island of Boavista.

Boavista AFR IC

A Cape Verde Kites are known to survive only in these islands off the coast of Africa.

10

Photo by Sabine Hille

ndangered species conservation always presents chalby Rick Watson lenges. Some are easier to deal with than others; some are predictable bureaucratic challenges that just take time and endless patience; others are of “cuttingedge science” in nature; and yet others relate to unexpected behavior of the animals themselves. The Cape Verde Kite project has had its fair share of all these! Scientifically, the Cape Verde Kite presents an interesting dilemma to conservation biologists. It was only recently proposed as a distinct species, Milvus fasciicauda, despite the fact that its nearest relative, the European Red Kite, Milvus milvus, was found over 1,800 miles (3,000 km) away. Of this substantial distance, at least 400 miles (645 km) is over the Atlantic Ocean. The Cape Verde Kite is geographically isolated from its nearest relatives, but since when, and how they got there, we do not know. Like other island species (e.g., Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos) once isolated, these kites probably followed their own evolutionary path as the species adapted to local conditions. New information collected in the mid-1990s on the behavior and morphology of the Cape Verde Kite is consistent with this theory. This new evidence, combined with conservation biologists’ revised understanding of what defines a “species” for the purpose of conservation (based on acceptance of populations with a different evolutionary history being the basic currency for conservation), we now recognize the Cape Verde Kite as unique and different from its European relative, and worthy of conservation in its own right. The tragedy of this new understanding is that many species may have already gone extinct because they were not previously recognized as worthy of the time, effort, and substantial cost of conservation. This may have been the fate of the Cape Verde Kite, except The Peregrine Fund went to work “just in time”—we hope! When we began this project over a year ago, there was a possibility the species may have become extinct

in the previous few months. Only two widely separated individuals had been seen in the species “stronghold” in 1999 on the island of Santa Antão, and two were reported from neighboring São Vicente island in 2000. In October 2000 we recruited Sabine Hille, a German biologist studying kestrels on the Cape Verde islands and then finishing her PhD at the KonradLorenz Institute in Vienna, to mount a search for the Cape Verde Kite to establish whether or not the species survived. If found, we proposed to capture the last remaining birds for captive breeding. This, we felt, was another Mauritius Kestrel, a species so decimated by human activities that only captive breeding could save it from extinction. In captivity, the chances of the adult birds surviving are much higher than in the wild. We can control and optimize their diet for breeding and we can manage the breeding to increase

Found the number of eggs laid and hatched, increasing survivorship of nestlings. Put together, this kind of intensive hands-on management can greatly improve the chances of species survival when only a few individuals remain. Sabine immediately went to work organizing a team of volunteers to help her scale the rugged mountains of Santa Antão and São Vicente islands in search of kites. The Cape Verde islands are literally “desert islands,” not the Robinson Crusoe-like (or “Cast Away-like”!) “deserted islands” rich in tropical vegetation. They are volcanic, dry islands that rise from the sea to over 3,000 feet (900 m) to where scarce moisture allows vegetation to hold on to a precarious life, or they surface to only a few hundred feet where only drought-hardy plants manage to dot the barren landscape. Survey work began in May this year and by late June the team of 10 sadly concluded the Cape Verde Kite was now extinct. There were none to be found in its “last stronghold” on Santa Antão or neighboring São Vicente Islands. Five days before her scheduled departure, Sabine called around to friends and biologists working on other islands “just in case” someone had seen something like a kite on another island where they had not been recorded in decades. One call produced the hint of a kite, so Sabine spent her last dollars on a flight to the island of Boavista. Two days later I received an excited phone call, “They’re here! Four kites, Cape Verde Kites,” yelled Sabine’s elated voice over a crackling phone line from a mid-Atlantic desert island. Her last few days were spent in intensive study of the birds’ hunting behavior, daily routine, and habitat preferences. Armed with this information she returned to Austria to plan for the capture and translocation of the birds, while her local friends began “training” the birds to come to a predictable food station. A month later, our field team flew in to Cape Verde, arriving in Sal Island’s international airport in the early morning hours. Sabine was joined by longtime friend of The Peregrine Fund Jim Willmarth and our Project Manager from Kenya, Simon Thomsett, both experts in the capture and translocation of birds of prey. But that is a story I will let Jim tell.

Kite Capture Depends on Patience, Timing, and Technology fter meeting Sabine Hille, I was shepherded through customs and experienced the unusuby Jim Willmarth ally complicated process of flying from one island to another in Cape Verde. Sabine speaks Crioulo, a mixture of Portuguese and various West African languages, as well as the official language of Portuguese. She has worked in Cape Verde for years so everywhere we went we were greeted by smiling acquaintances. Arriving in Boavista Island after a night of limited sleep on the airport floor at Sal Island, we hitched a ride and stowed our gear with friends. We then went directly to the site where Sabine’s friends had been leaving food for the kites every five days. To my amazement, as soon as we turned off the cobblestone main road onto the dirt track leading to the feeding spot, there they were. All four kites were sitting together on the phone lines about 100 yards from us. I had the uncanny feeling they were waiting for us. As soon as we left food at the feeding site and backed off a few hundred yards, the kites flew in to inspect the food from a cautious distance. Ravens came first and began to take a few morsels and immediately the kites all came, chased them off, and began to carry off small bits of food. As the days passed it became clear that these four kites had two ravens that they were associated with on a daily basis. If the ravens did not go to a source of food first, the kites would not approach it. Often we watched as the kites found a new meal and waited for the ravens to come and do a security check. If the ravens found the offered meal suspicious, they would jump up and down and cry loudly, making such a fuss that the kites would fly off. About this time we caught up with Simon Thomsett, the third member of our party. We knew Simon was on his way but we were not sure of the exact day or time of his arrival. We had all been communicating by e-mail but as Simon explained to us, he lives miles outside of Nairobi, Kenya, at a place with no phone or electricity. For him to get a message involved the reception of the e-mail in Nairobi that was copied onto a floppy disc and

A

I had the uncanny feeling they were waiting for us.

(continued on page 12)

11

Kite Capture (continued from page 11)

12

took almost four hours to set up so that is was hidden from the critical eyes of the ravens by carefully sprinkling it with a fine layer of sand. Once satisfied that the trap worked perfectly, we set it up one final time, and even brushed our tracks from the sand as we retreated 300 yards to our observation spot. It was days later before the

kites were on the carcass. They looked around and began to feed. After weeks of patient learning through observation and trial and error, we had all four kites together and within the perimeter of our trap. Success seemed to be at hand! We looked at each other with wide eyes. Anticipating the sprint to the net to

Cape Verde Kite habitat on Boavista Island.

Photo by Jim Willmarth

“placed in the end of a cleft stick and given to a runner who proceeded on foot to Simon’s house in the traditional manner of local mail delivery.” Simon then put the floppy in his portable computer to read the message. He said this whole procedure “took a bit of the convenience out of e-mail communication” for him! Drawing on Simon’s experience of capturing Black Kites in Africa, we decided to make a blind so we could be closer to the birds when we caught them and to aid our observations. At mid-day when the birds went off to soar they were often gone for hours. One day, when I thought the kites were out for the afternoon, I took a small shovel and started to make a place where we could hide. I scraped a shallow depression in the ground and started to pile some large rocks around the perimeter. I noticed the shadow of a bird move by me. Looking up, I saw two of the kites only about 40 yards above. They were watching with great interest. I walked away feeling foolish. That evening all four of the kites came and perched near the aborted hiding place. The ravens came, and upon seeing the depression and out of place rocks, they jumped up and down and cursed the place so loudly that the kites flew away without even inspecting the nearby food we had left for them. We discussed what we had learned so far and between us tried to come up with a solution for catching these birds. If we could get them all at once to feed within a few feet of each other, we would have a chance of capturing them all with a bow net. A bow net is a circular net with a ridged frame that can be placed flat on the ground and pulled over whatever is within its perimeter. We soon found we could get the kites to feed together, but only once every four or five days. We set up the bow net and tested it several times in a place hidden from the kites’ usual haunts. Each time it

ravens, and then the kites, found the bait. The ravens came in first. They walked around and around the carcass, calling softly to each other. After about 10 minutes they moved in very close and began tentatively pecking at it. Finally, they started to eat. Our careful preparations had succeeded in deceiving even the smart ravens! Then the kites arrived, all at once. They sat about 50 yards away and watched suspiciously. Then they began to walk in, slowly at first, stopping and going, waiting for the ones behind to catch up. As they got closer, they seemed more excited; their pace quickened until they began to run, stopping only for a second or two in their rush. Finally, one ran straight in with wings slightly spread in a threatening posture. Reluctantly, the ravens flew off a short distance. Now, suddenly, all the

retrieve the captured kites, we grabbed the transmitter that triggers the trap and pushed the release lever. Nothing happened. We passed the transmitter from hand to hand, pushing more and more vigorously on the lever. A good number of technical expressions were uttered in several different languages. But it did not help. Simon even crept in closer to the trap to see if perhaps reducing the distance to the receiver on the trap would help. But to no avail. Later, as we inspected the failed trap, we realized that over the days of patient waiting, sand had gradually trickled into the trap’s mechanism and packed tightly around the bow so that it was effectively jammed tight in the ground. We tried a variety of solutions, but with very limited materials available to work with, none were reliable

Raptor Conservation and Research in Zimbabwe

I noticed the shadow of a bird move by me. Looking up, I saw two of the kites only about 40 yards above.

Falconers Lead the Way T he stimulating part of heading up the by Ron Hartley Zimbabwe Falconers Club (ZFC) is the variety of work required. With some 66 species of diurnal raptors and 12 of owls, it is vital that we prioritize our efforts. There is just one full-time professional ornithologist in the country, Peter Mundy, who represents the Department of National Parks and Wild Life Management. Fortunately he has always been forward looking and part of his responsibilities has been to facilitate the conservation policies of non-governmental organizations like the ZFC. Having worked closely together for nearly 20 years, we have structured a policy which focuses on the biology of the birds, their conservation needs, and developing public awareness through a two-pronged educational program. This policy is also formally recognized by way of the government policy toward falconry. Peter Mundy looks to me and the ZFC program for key input on the national strategy for raptor biology and conservation. Our approach has been supported and refined by our association with The Peregrine Fund, which goes back even further to the late 1970s. Getting the right people involved is always the key to a successful operation. Falconers are hands-on operators and they are passionate about their sport and the raptors and prey that they use. Our program is based on this passion. Falconers are encouraged to make use of the wild resource. In return they are expected to contribute to the research program by sharing information on the raptors they

Young Teita Falcons at the eyrie.

Photo by Ron Hartley

enough to work consistently. We tried other methods like various noose traps and others, but by now the kites had a new and abundant source of food—locusts that grew larger by the day. They were maturing at about five to six inches in length and had started to breed, which made them very easy prey. The kites would catch them two at a time by simply sailing over the acacia trees and plucking them off the top branches like ripe fruit until they were full. The kites lost interest in other food completely and stopped coming to our suspicious offerings. We have hopes of returning with traps built specifically for the difficult conditions on the islands. The locusts should be gone by then and the birds should be more interested in the food we offer them. Cape Verde is a very unique country culturally, geographically, and biologically. I feel honored to have taken away this small experience of it. The kites are not the only endangered endemic on this special group of islands, but I try not to think of that. It is worrisome enough when I think of the four birds on Boavista Island preening in the morning sun, soaring over their high rocky ridge, inspecting every new thing they come across with curiosity, completely unaware of how small their tribe has become. I worry about them and hope that we will meet again.

encounter. Many contribute as volunteers to the research program and they include doctors, veterinary surgeons, farmers, hunters, businessmen, and tradesmen. Access to such a wide range of skills has proved most helpful in the program. My job is to help design and direct the projects, and to encourage participation from the volunteers. I also lead several of the key projects and get involved in all of the fieldwork and much of the writing up. Operating from an idyllic base in the bushveld at Falcon College in rural Matabeleland, I have also run the high school’s falconry club and natural history unit for nearly 20 years. Students range from 14 to 18 years of age, and several graduates now form an important part of the national research program. The college is surrounded by an extensive area of wild lands, including the eastern edge of the famed Matobo (continued on page 14)

13

Zimbabwe Falconers (continued from page 13)

Photo by Ron Hartley

Hills which hosts one of the richest arrays of birds of prey in Africa. Species studied in detail include Crowned, Martial, African Hawk, Tawny, and Wahlberg’s Eagles, Black, Ovambo, and Little Sparrowhawks, and Gabar Goshawk. Students have been involved in long-term studies of raptor communities in this area. Some students also accompany me on expeditions into study areas at Batoka Gorge, Chizarira, Chirisa, Siabuwa, Save Valley, and

…students learn first-hand the habits of breeding birds, sometimes climbing to nests, banding chicks, and collecting prey remains.

14

David Maritz, a former student at Falcon College, searches for raptors at Batoka Gorge.

Bubiana Conservancies, and Malilangwe. These are all wonderful wilderness areas with abundant wildlife, including big game such as elephants. In the field the students learn first-hand the habits of breeding birds, sometimes climbing to nests, banding chicks, and collecting prey remains. Some students have done research projects, which I have helped stimulate, plan, and supervise. These projects are also published and the unit has an enviable publication record. As one of our unique attributes is the hands-on approach, an important focus has been on the biology of littleknown species such as Teita Falcons and African Peregrine Falcons, Ayres’ Eagle, and Bat Hawk. We have produced some useful new information

on all of these species. I have been fortunate to handle all of these species and study them also in the wild. Watching a pair of Teita Falcons tending young at the nest is most exciting, not the least because nests are invariably located in pristine wilderness areas. Feeling the tree shake as an adult Martial Eagle alights near the hide and then drops onto the nest, its baleful yellow eyes gazing suspiciously, while I hardly breathe as I will it to settle is another golden moment. Spotting a dark nondescript raptor wrench off a stick and then follow the raptor to find that it is the elusive and enigmatic Bat Hawk busy building its nest is equally captivating. Being able to share such experiences with like-minded colleagues is both fun and inspirational. Not all of our activities involve such appealing and ground-breaking biological work. Human impacts are a constant factor, requiring basic and sometimes innovative approaches. The growing environmental catastrophe from the widespread and chaotic land invasions in Zimbabwe, with attendant deforestation and poaching, threaten one of the country’s most valuable assets—its wild land. When Peter Mundy, Warren Goodwin, and I spent a weekend at Wabai Hill on Debshan Ranch early this year we observed over 50 newly built huts below the feature, an important bird area. Wabai Hill hosts the northern-most colony of the Cape Vulture in an area with a rich variety of other raptors and wildlife. It was an appropriate venue for our meeting to contribute to a new threatened and endangered species list for Zimbabwe, as our deliberations were made right on the hard edge of human pressure. As we cooked dinner in the bush, we heard a dozen rifle shots in this erstwhile pristine and protected area. The following day some of the invaders boasted how they had shot (illegally) some antelope on the open plains. We have some daunting challenges and times ahead.

otes N ield F from the

Isidor’s Eagle.

Isidor’s Eagles:

Owners of the Cloud Forest t was about 11 years ago when I saw an Isidor’s Eagle for the first by Ursula Valdez time. I was crossing the cloud forest on my way to Amazonian lowlands in Peru. From a comfortable tourist truck that was giving me a ride, I could see a fantastic scene. A few meters from the road there was a mossy tree emerging from the steep slope and on the top of it there was a nest with an Isidor’s Eagle and a nestling. I remember jumping from the truck and staying while the tourists were heading to a lodge not far down the road. I stayed there for three hours just watching the eagles, and I was fascinated with the

© Heinz Plenge

I

(continued on page 16)

15

...we went through a mysterious Isidor’s Eagle (continued from page 15)

Photo by Ursula Valdez

A treacherous one-lane mountain road provides access to the study area on alternating days.

Photo by Ursula Valdez

The author builds a trap.

16

experience. By that time I was a newly graduated biologist looking for a direction for my career and my interest in birds, and especially raptors, was starting to grow. Sadly, years later I found out that the eagles were not nesting there anymore. A man had cut down the tree and since then there was not evidence of any nesting activity around. During the next years, however, I had the chance to pass by that road several times and some of those I still was lucky to see an Isidor’s Eagle flying along or across the valley. By July of 2000, I was hired by The Peregrine Fund as a research biologist and I was assigned to find breeding pairs of Isidor’s Eagles in South America. After a talk with Rick Watson where I told him about my sightings in Peru, we decided to search for the eagles on the cloud forest of the Cosñipata Valley. As a Peruvian biologist I considered this a great opportunity to conduct research in my own country and with raptors that have became my passion. But I was also excited about going in search of those enigmatic eagles that years ago fascinated me and that inhabit the pristine cloud forest of the southeastern Andean slopes of Peru. After some paperwork and lots of bureaucracy in Lima (capital of Peru), I departed to Cuzco, a small city high in the Andes, which became our contact with civilization and source of supplies. In mid-July, after getting food supplies and all we might need for the following weeks, my assistant, Cynthia King, and I left Cuzco towards our field site. A dirt road that joins Cuzco and the Pilcopata Valley took us to the cloud forest inside of Manu Biosphere Reserve, the largest and most famous protected area in Peru. Since the very first field trip, each journey has been an adventure—breakdowns, flat tires, landslides and waiting, sometimes days, for huge earthmovers to clear them, a truck jammed against a cliff after a misjudged corner, gruesome accidents at the bottom of the precipice, and more. The mountain road itself shows one of the most peculiar (and scary) transit systems. The road is so narrow and

and magic cloud forest... with deep precipices that traffic going down to the lowlands is allowed only three days a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays), while traffic going up goes on the rest of the days. On Sundays when there is not much traffic, vehicles are allowed to go in both directions—at one’s own risk. Of course, more than once we found a truck coming in our opposite direction. I swear, every time we had checked carefully which day to depart. In many places along the road we saw crosses with flowers and some inscriptions marking the location of accidents and deaths, as a reminder of how careful you need to be when driving this road. However, every trip was a fantastic journey going across the high Andes, contemplating the high and vast mountains and going through passes to the eastern slopes that go down to the Amazonian rainforest. On the highest location of the road we stopped the vehicle to look at the fantastic scenery. A green carpet-like vegetation covered the slopes below and then far in the horizon we could see the Amazonian plain. When we arrived in our study area, Cynthia and I explored for several days, walking up and down many hours along the road. We camped in wet forests where mornings and nights were in fact wet and cold. Then we went through a mysterious and magic cloud forest, in which we walked under the rain or through dense fog. But we did not complain. We also had magnificent sunny and blue-sky days. During the walks, I stopped every birdwatcher we found along the road (not many) and asked if they had seen the eagle. Several times I just had a sympathetic smile for an answer as most of them consider the Isidor’s Eagle one of the hardest species to see. But finally, by mid-August our efforts were rewarded with the sighting of our first Isidor`s Eagle high in the sky. Despite our exhaustion we jumped and celebrated with hugs and dances. For a couple of days we were able to see the eagle around

the same area. On the same field trip, we found another Isidor’s Eagle flying in a higher elevation locality. We were so excited. Our first goal was achieved: we confirmed that Isidor’s eagles were living in our study area. The next step was to find more individuals and nesting sites. For the next three months my colleague, Sophie Osborn, gathered information on more individuals of Isidor’s Eagle and their behavior, and the areas they frequently visited. In January 2001, during the visit of Rick Watson to our study area, we decided to put all of our efforts into finding a nest of Isidor’s Eagles and in trapping an individual so we could radio track it. More challenges, but we took them again with my new and determined crew (Bryan Evans, Jose Campoy, and Daniel Huáman as my field assistants). During the next five months we had one of the most fascinating experiences watching these eagles and observing their behavior. We will hardly forget the day we witnessed, not far from us, a young individual flying with its parents. Or when we saw the adult pair displaying to each other, grappling talons in mid-air and cartwheeling from the sky toward the forest canopy, and minutes later, mating. I observed in awe as an adult Isidor’s Eagle captured a woolly monkey. Unfortunately, we haven’t found a nest yet, but we found certain evidences of nesting activity. Our trapping attempts were unsuccessful as well. However, so far we have gathered information on the behavior and important aspects of the biology of the Isidor’s Eagle. No matter how much longer we want to keep searching for eagles’ nests or how many more long days we want to walk, we want to know more about Isidor’s Eagles. We know, though, that Isidor’s Eagles are the lords in the cloud forest and we hope they remain like that for a long time.

. .we saw the adult pair displaying to each other, grappling talons in midair and cartwheeling from the sky toward the forest canopy

17

Experiences of an Aplomado Falcon Hack Site Attendant t is a struggle for me to awake at 5:30 a.m. The by Swathi Sridharan 20-minute drive to work is different every morning, enthralling in the way of slowly revealed secrets: deer, vultures swooping on road kill, snakes, and an eastern sky that shines gently some mornings and burns fiercely on others. At around 8:00 am the first of the Aplomado Falcons makes its way to the tower, its black and gold form outlined clearly in my scope. Beautiful in their vivid colors and playful soaring flights, these birds have the ability to look like a fat pigeon one minute and like royalty the next. For the brief time that they are present, the tower is alive. The falcons eat the quail with small, rapid bites, often ripping feathers to get to the unexposed flesh. The tower becomes still again after the birds have fed and they huddle together on the far side in the shade. They scatter, screaming abuses when I approach at 11:30 to remove the bones, feathers, and any other remnants of their breakfast. Besides feeding and identifying the birds, my job also includes scaring off any approaching vultures that are interested in the quail on the tower. To do this I run out of the blind and wave my arms in silent protest until the vulture, feigning indifference, shifts direction with a lazy beat of its wings. At about one month of age, the falcons are flown in from The Peregrine Fund’s headquarters, the World Center for Birds of Prey, in Boise, Idaho, and are delivered to us in specially designed carriers by one of the four supervisors stationed in Texas. Each release site usually receives two sets of birds, sometimes even three. The young birds scream, bite, and scratch vehemently in protest at being moved

I

18

into the large wooden box on top of the tower where they will stay for about a week. This is one of the few times that the Aplomados are handled. I have transferred two females, Blue P8 and Orange KD, into their new home. Their beaks stretch wide as they scream, revealing little pink tongues. If held long enough they become quiet and stare right at you, their midnight black eyes lined with eyelashes and protected by eyelids that close from the bottom up. While the falcons are in the box they are fed once a day by dropping halves of quail through a chute in the top of the box. Three sides of the box are made of wood with peepholes drilled in various positions, while the fourth side of the box is made out of metal netting to provide the birds with a view of the surrounding landscape and other birds. I spent an hour creeping around on the tower on all fours peering into the peepholes to determine whether each bird had eaten and noting any differences in plumage and personality. Once they have been released anything that will identify each bird helps, since more often than not, the color bands around their legs are obscured by an inconsiderate branch or leaf. By the third or fourth day in the box, the birds start to get restless. As the wind picks up in the evenings, they stare out toward the lake behind our tower. They experimentally stretch out their wings and give a halfhearted flap before settling down. Red NX, one of the females from our first set of birds, was always determined, if not always successful. She was forever the first to respond to an all-consuming urge to fly and was usually still going strong when we left. She would walk around the box, her steps getting faster until she was almost running. Then Red NX

Photo by Amy Nicholas

Aplomado Falcon hack site.

would pause, bob her head as she concentrated, and focus her eyes on a far corner of the box. She would make a prodigious leap, wings flapping hard as she propelled herself straight into the side of the box where she would drop down with a loud thud that never seemed to bother her, but made me cringe. The others, emboldened by her success, would start making leaps of their own. It was a funny sight to see seven birds hopping determinedly from one side to the next, often bumping into each other or the box. As I climbed down the ladder, I could still hear their feet scrabbling across the gravel in excitement. Release day is a birthday of sorts— the day the birds make their first flight, the day we can no longer control where they go. The goal of release day is to open the door to the box and allow the birds to come out at their own pace. Motivated by curiosity and hunger instead of fear, they eat the quail conveniently placed in plain view and learn that the tower is a safe place to return. They remain there until the sun begins to set and they make their first shaky flights to the nearby trees to roost for the night.

...they become

While this first flight suggests freedom and autonomy, as Angel, our field supervisor, puts it, “Life just got very difficult all of a sudden.” The birds are now susceptible to all of nature’s threats and while I stood there, exulting in their achievements, I could not help but be aware of the forces acting against them. As I write this article only three out of our original seven are alive. One flew far without stopping on release day and disappeared, two more were eaten by Great Horned Owls. Red NX, who in her impatience to fly was the first one off the tower, was never seen again. Their frailty was brought home by their clumsy landings and shaky sense of direction, for often the wind was stronger than their wings, and they would end up in a nearby tree looking faintly baffled. But their strength was made evident as well, for within a few days their flights were graceful, their landings superb. It is a pleasure to watch them playfully chase each other, diving and swooping in a relentless game of catch where no one is “it.” My daily routine ends with another four-hour shift at the blind in the evenings and I watch the birds eat and

right at you...

play around the tower until they head back to the lake for the night. I do not want to convey an idyllic picture of endless excitement and wonder. The Texas heat can be harsh, the ranch abounding with snakes and gruesome insects. And it is tough when some birds disappear, leaving only a handful of feathers as a testimony to a late night violent struggle. I think that we are all collectors of one sort or another. I collect brief moments when I am in awe of the beauty that surrounds me. And there is of course, one moment that I will replay in my mind’s eye forever. I woke up a little later than usual one morning and the falcons were already at the tower, waiting for their breakfast. Instead of scattering as they normally do at my approach, they let me get closer than I ever had or have been since. I was a little shaken and was debating how to get them off the tower when the first one took off in a small tight circle around me. Five other falcons flew after the first until I was completely encircled by gold and black wings beating against the still morning. I was honored to be surrounded by their fragile, tenacious beauty.

Soaring Aplomado Falcon.

Photo © W.S. Clark

Young Aplomado Falcon.

Photo © Robert Rattner

quiet and stare

Five other falcons flew after the first until I was completely encircled by gold and black wings beating against the still morning.

For more information on how to become a hack site attendant at The Peregrine Fund, contact Bill Heinrich at (208) 362-3716 or by mail at 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, Idaho 83709.

19

An Unexpected Christmas Present In place of the plastic reindeers of home were richly o my mind, Christmas is a time for family and by Martin Gilbert friends. Visions of frosty days, log fires, mantles draped in sprays of holly and mistletoe. At first glance, it is hard to relate these images to a Christmas spent in rural Pakistan studying dying vultures! To most eyes the vulture is hardly an evocative subject, with its scrawny serpentine neck and unsavory table manners, it holds none of the romance of the Bald Eagle or the Peregrine Falcon. Surely only a madman would spend the festive season searching for such a bird, in a remote land where Christmas is not celebrated and a whiskey toast to the New Year is an unknown pleasure?! I have to admit that many a friendly eyebrow was raised when I announced that I would be leaving Scotland in December to join The Peregrine Fund’s Asian Vulture Crisis Project. However, that was all a year ago and I am happy to report that both the vultures and Pakistan proved the doubters wrong! Colorful Pakistan was both a surprise and a joy to visit. The local’s own festival, the Islamic Eid el Fitr, fell by happy coincidence just two days after my own Christmas day. While my friends at home were busy sending Christmas cards and choosing their tree, Pakistan was buzzing to an anticipation of its own. At the time I was based in the provincial town of Dera Ghazi Khan along the western bank of the mighty Indus River. Late night shoppers hurried over their purchases of gifts and treats. The streets were filled with the scents of dishes being prepared and with bubbling wide-eyed

T

20

children brimming with excitement. In place of the plastic reindeers of home were stoic donkeys trimmed in tassels and bells, and richly decorated camels, their ankle-bracelets clinking as they strode past. As with Christmas at home, Eid was a happy season, marked only by the warmth and overwhelming hospitality of the Pakistani people. By this time, life within the vulture colonies was also full of activity. Most pairs were on nests, the parents sharing the burden of incubating their single white eggs. Four long months of hard work stretched ahead of them before the chicks would leave their tree-top platforms and make their way into the brewing heat of a Punjabi spring. But for now the colonies were shrouded in the chill of winter. Early morning mists blanketed the gnarled rows of sheesham trees, retreating with the rise of the winter sun. By mid-morning, air would begin lifting in columns from the warming fields of cotton and newly planted wheat. Large groups of vultures would circle together, climbing the thermals, dispersing high over the plains in the search for food. At times several hundred could be seen together, spiraling upward against a lapis-blue sky. A truly magnificent sight, yet all activity at the colonies was not of a feathered nature. On the ground below the trees two young men were carefully pacing the colony, recording the activity at the nests, while engaged in a second and more sinister task: the search for dead and dying birds. Shakeel Ahmed and Jamshed Chaudhry, two Pakistani students working with the Ornithological

Society of Pakistan, under the training and coordination of The Peregrine Fund, had been charged with a vital job. With reports of dead and dying vultures coming from as far away as Asam in northeastern India (1,500 miles to the east), Shakeel and Jamshed, along with their colleagues in two further Pakistani vulture colonies, were working hard to piece together vital fragments of information in a conservation jigsaw puzzle stretching across an entire subcontinent. Stories of drastic declines in local populations of the Oriental Whitebacked Vulture and two close relatives, the Slender-billed and Cliff Vultures, had become depressingly frequent over the proceeding months. The picture that was emerging was a bleak one. The populations of these three species had dwindled to a fraction of their former size, or vanished entirely over much, if not all, of their former range. More shocking still was the speed with which the situation had unfolded. Where a decade ago many hundreds of pairs had nested in what were apparently healthy colonies, the trees now stood empty. It appeared that India had borne the brunt of the losses, with Nepal also heavily affected. Pakistan, it seemed, was yet to experience declines as dramatic as elsewhere, and apparently still boasted large colonies of the Oriental White-backed Vulture, at least. Work was demanding, there was a lot to do, and little time left to ponder Christmas back home. While the students tirelessly paced their colonies marking nests and recording occupancy, I was busy refining their studies, taking time to survey other sites, and

Photos by Martin Gilbert

Martin Gilbert.

White-backed Vultures.

decorated camels, their ankle-bracelets clinking... attending to the myriad of chores clamoring for attention on the road to a smooth-running season ahead. Throughout my time in Dera Ghazi Khan, my Pakistani companions made sure that I was comfortable, and that I was never short of warm company. Although I may have been forgotten by Father Christmas, life was not without festive spirit, and on the night of Christmas Eve I was to be treated to an unexpected midnight gift. It was a dark 11:30 when a knock at the big metal gates echoed around the courtyard. The great door swung open to reveal a pair of wind-blown Pakistani students, their hair swept back and faces frozen by a late night motorbike journey from the field site an hour away. Shakeel and Jamshed came bearing an impressive gift! I took the large jute sack from the hands of the shivering Shakeel and opened its contents onto the floor. The body of a freshly dead adult vulture rolled out, its wings lolling passively. “We found it today,” announced Jamshed. The three of us stood in silence looking at the bird. Despite having been in the country for barely two weeks, this was already a very familiar sight to me. This magnificent bird, once a master of its element, was reduced to a cold and limp form at our feet, a stark reminder of the reality facing south Asia’s vultures. We worked together on the dead vulture through the night. Such a fresh bird was invaluable, and with careful examination might reveal clues, vital in piecing together the bigger picture. We took photographs and measurements, opening her up in an attempt to find

the cause of her demise. Once again, a familiar site confronted us. Her organs were pasted in a thick white material, choked by uric acid. This was a sign that our vulture had died from kidney failure. This was a finding that had been seen not only by ourselves in other sites across the plains of Pakistan, but had been reported in birds within India also. We took samples of tissues for analysis, trying to gather as much information as possible. Our evening’s work was drawing to a close by the time the early morning call to prayer drifted out from the many mosques of Dera Ghazi Khan. The evocative chant lilted across the still darkened rooftops of the sleeping town, replacing the peals of church bells, which at that moment would be heralding a new Christmas day in my Scottish homeland many miles away. With sunrise approaching we returned to our beds for some much needed sleep. That is to say, I returned to my bed. For this night fell within the final days of the holy month of Ramadan, through which the students continued to observe their daily fast, allowing no food to pass their lips during hours of daylight. While I was sleeping these men were quietly offering prayer and preparing a last meal before the sun rose. To succumb to sleep would have meant an entire day in the field, working hard on empty stomachs to unlock the mystery of what was killing the vultures of south Asia. I remained in Pakistan until July. The cool of winter gave way to the lengthy and blistering days of summer, a journey of eight months

and 85 degrees Fahrenheit! Eggs hatched, chicks grew steadily and finally took their first faltering flight into a very hostile world. Long days under the sweltering sun colored our students’ skin a dark shade of mahogany, and my own ghostly complexion a lobster red! With temperatures roaring past 115° F on a regular basis, Christmas and Eid became a distant memory, yet one aspect did not change, the vultures continued to die. By the time I left the subcontinent, the students and myself had located almost 700 dead vultures. At one site, 20% of nesting adults were dead by the end of the season. As the months tick past and we approach another year’s festivities, I am left wondering how many more Eid celebrations and out-of-place Christmases will pass under the watchful eye of the soaring vulture?

I took the large jute sack from the hands of the shivering Shakeel and opened its contents onto the floor.

21

Searching for Birds of Prey in Batoka Gorge, Africa e had enjoyed an exhilarating morning with Peregrines at two by Ron Hartley nesting sites. One pair made a brutal attack on a pair of Black Eagles, fiercely defending two recently fledged juveniles. Three hundred meters from a Teita site, we located a pair nested on a huge cliff inside an old field with land mines remaining from the war in the 1970s. We had been in the bush for just over two weeks and other minor rushes of adrenalin were predicated by elephants, buffalo, and lions in the Chizarira National Park. Ancient elephant paths provided the key access points into those gorges which also hosted Teita and Peregrine Falcons, Bat Hawks, Augur Buzzards, and Crowned and Black Eagles. Close encounters with the huge pachyderms is part of the normal run of events in Chizarira. Three of my party were 18-yearold schoolboys and another was a recent school leaver. All accomplished young falconers, they were graduates of my Falcon College Falconry Club.

Photo by Bill Heinrich

…rushes of adrenalin were predicated by elephants, buffalo, and lions

Photo by Ron Hartley.

W

22

Floating through the Zambezi River Gorge, the large blue Maravia raft dipped over rapid 11, tumbling and twisting as the professional oarsman inadvertently missed his line. Six of us in the black Achilles raft quickly diverted to the left bank and jumped out. The Maravia was in a big hole (whirlpool), oarsman and assistant nowhere to be seen. I shouted at my team to make their way downstream over the massive black basaltic boulders and search. A long 10 minutes elapsed before the two figures came into view. We had feared the worst, so it was an incredibly welcome sight! The oarsman was indeed fortunate as he had spent many long seconds of hydraulic motion in the whirlpool’s vortex. Then he told us that somebody drowned here the week before. Meanwhile, the raft was still stuck. Numerous casts of the rescue line failed to lock on the frame, and after 30 minutes of frustrating effort the raft bounced hard a few times, turned over, and spewed out downstream. We jumped into the turbulent Zambezi River, grabbing the raft and some of the gear that had separated. A barrel containing my Colt 45 pistol and a Kowa spotting scope had gone down. Losing a firearm was a major problem. I carried the pistol because on a previous trip our kayak support had been chased by a large crocodile—we pulled the kayaker onto the raft just in time–and I did not fancy the prospect of a “flat dog” (crocodile) popping the raft. Exhorting the team to pull hard, we extracted the Achilles from the river and portaged rapid 11. With 15 km remaining to get to a pre-set camp, it was clear that the last section would have to be negotiated in the dark, probably a first. Fortunately we were able to take a “chicken run” around the notorious rapid 18 (sinisterly labeled Oblivion) in the twilight. Just downstream of this we passed a Pel’s Fishing Owl, beautifully poised on a rock just above the river, our first record of this species in the gorge. The glow of the campfire was a warm sight indeed. We still had another two days on the river. Raptor research in Africa provides many challenges!

Above: Rafting the Zambezi. Left: Victoria Falls viewed through the mist from the Zambezi River Gorge.

Our Future…

Is in Your Hands Philippine Eagle.

Photo courtesy of F.R.E.E. Ltd.

Support The Peregrine Fund!! ou may donate to The Peregrine Fund by using the enclosed envelope, through our secure server on our web site, or by designating a portion of your paycheck through your workplace giving program. The Peregrine Fund participates in the Combined Federal Campaign (#0945) and other payroll deduction campaigns through Earth Share. Many employers will match the charitable contributions of employees. Ask your personnel or human resources representative for a matching gift form, fill out your portion, and enclose it with your gift. Please call Linda Behrman at (208) 362-3716 for more information. All donations are tax deductible.

Y

Our Promise: We will only directly request your contribution once a year and then it will be by mail, so please give generously. If you do not donate, a couple

Visit Our World from Your Home

of reminders will be sent. Newsletters and annual reports may have donor envelopes should you wish to contribute more often. We will keep your name and address confidential. They will not be traded or sold to others. We will keep you informed of our progress through reports, newsletters, and our web site. We will work hard to see your dollars are spent carefully and effectively. We will do our best to make a meaningful difference.

Membership benefits: • Newsletter Subscription • Annual Report • 10% Discount on Gift Shop and Catalog Purchases • Special Events Notification

Planned Giving A planned giving program targeted to your situation can reduce taxes and return an income for life while helping us with our important work.

ou can also participate with The Peregrine Fund simply by learning more about what we do. Our award-winning web site (www.peregrinefund.org) is regularly updated with new and interesting information from our projects around the world. Join our E-Newsletter program and receive regular

Y

Planned giving includes bequests, gift annuities, trusts, and many other forms of gifts. Gifts are placed in our endowment to help conserve birds of prey and their environments in perpetuity. At the discretion of our Board, some income from the endowment is used to meet our annual goals. If you wish to make a provision in your will, the following general form is suggested: “I give, devise, and bequeath to The Peregrine Fund, Inc. an Idaho not-forprofit corporation, located on the date hereof at the World Center for Birds of Prey, 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, Idaho 83709, the sum of $____ (or specifically described property).” For information on bequests and other planned giving opportunities, consult your attorney or contact Jeff Cilek, Vice President, at (208) 362-3716 or by e-mail at [email protected].

updates on our projects worldwide. Past issues have included interesting articles, unique videos, “just for fun” items, and much more. The E-Newsletter is free! Sign up to receive it using the enclosed envelope or through our web site.

23

Our Education Birds:

Ambassadors for Conservation ach year thousands of people, young and old, from all walks of life, “meet” our eduby Nancy Freutel cation birds at the Velma Morrison Interpretive Center at the World Center for Birds of Prey. While the birds do not ‘talk’ to our guests, they manage to speak volumes to all who see them. To watch the admiration of an avid birder gazing into the bright eyes of Gus, our young Peregrine Falcon, or to see the expression of delight on the faces of school children as they meet Jack, our Golden Eagle, is testimony to the power of up-close encounters with birds of prey. Each of our education birds is priceless when it comes to acquainting our visitors with birds of prey and their role in nature. Nothing can compare to experiencing the penetrating gaze of an eagle from a few feet away or

E

feeling the rush of air as a Peregrine moves its wings. These encounters leave a lasting and memorable impression on people and provide them with an insight into the important role birds of prey play in our environment. Visitors to the Interpretive Center may see juvenile and adult Peregrine Falcons, Aplomado Falcons, Bateleur Eagles, California Condors, Bald Eagles, a Harpy Eagle, Golden Eagle, Barred-Owl, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Turkey Vulture, Northern Harrier, Rough-Legged Hawk, and an American Kestrel. Interactive displays, multi-media shows, guided tours, and a gift shop are also available. Come out and see us the next time you are “soaring” in our neck of the woods. For directions and more information on the visitor’s center, please visit our web site, www.peregrinefund.org, or call (208) 362-8687.

n

Fa lco n, an d

Go

ld e nE agle.

io cat edu ur of o A few

24

in gr e r Pe

e

o ,c ds bir

un te rcl oc kw ise

Ea fro ur mt e l e t op: B arred-Owl, Ba

, gle

Photo credits: Owl, Kurt K. Burnham; Peregrine Falcon, Karen Wattenmaker; Bateleur Eagle and Golden Eagle, Stephen J. Krasemann.

Use the order form and envelope in this newsletter, or call 1-800-377-3721 to order. Peregrine Fund Lapel Pin $3.95 Our pewter lapel pin will declare your support of The Peregrine Fund. In the center is our logo, encircled in royal blue with the inscription “The Peregrine Fund— Founded 1970.”

Visit our web site at www.peregrinefund.org for these and other great items. Remember all purchases from our catalog support our projects.

2001 Christmas Ornament $17.50 The Peregrine Falcon is featured on the 2001 Christmas ornament. The image was created by John Schmitt and the ornament produced by Barlow Designs, Inc. Each ornament is engraved on the back with “The Peregrine Fund 2001.” Visit our web site for the seven-year collection of ornaments. 1994

Peregrine Falcon

1998

Harpy Eagle

1995

Bald Eagle

1999

1996

Aplomado Falcon

Madagascar Red Owl

1997

California Condor

2000

Gyrfalcon

Denim Shirt Eagle Stuffed Animals (Left) Our national symbol, the Bald Eagle, in soft, huggable plush. Standing about 10” tall, this eagle sports a “World Center for Birds of Prey” banner. $7.75

(Right) Our little Bald Eagle bean bag toy accented with bright yellow beak and feet. This eagle wears a removable blue World Center for Birds of Prey bandanna. Approximately 6” tall. $5.95

Peregrine Fund Hats $15.95 Made of cotton canvas and embroidered with a detailed head of a Peregrine Falcon and the words “The Peregrine Fund.” Available in denim blue, dark green, and khaki.

$39.95 A 100% cotton, long-sleeve denim shirt sporting The Peregrine Fund insignia above the breast pocket. Adult S, M, L, XL, or XXL

Life with an Indian Prince By John J. Craighead and Frank C. Craighead, Jr. The experiences of the authors while living with the royal family of Bhavnagar, India, in 1940-41. Vol. 2 in the Archives of American Falconry Heritage Publication Series complete with more than 350 illustrations, twothirds in color. Published in collaboration with The Craighead Wildlife-Wildlands Institute. 300 pages, limited edition. Standard Edition $135 Patron’s Edition $320 (Includes half-leather case binding, handmade marbled endpapers, and photographic print of authors.)

Photo by Kurt Stolzenburg • Front cover photo by Jack Stephens, jackstephensimages.com

The Peregrine Fund World Center for Birds of Prey 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane Boise, ID 83709 United States of America

www.peregrinefund.org

Non-Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE

PAID Boise, ID Permit No. 606